Reigning doubles champion Chan Yung-jan on Saturday relinquished her title at the Aegon International in Eastbourne, England, as the Taiwanese and Zheng Jie of China had to settle for the runners-up trophies at Devonshire Park.
The cross-strait duo were beaten 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 at the final grass-court warm-up before Wimbledon by fourth seeds Caroline Garcia and Katarina Srebotnik on Centre Court in 1 hour, 33 minutes.
Chan and Zheng did have their chance, but they squandered three set points before going on the lose the tiebreaker in a first set in which both pairings broke serve three times.
Photo: screen grab from Facebook
Chan and Zheng did break their French-Slovenian opponents again in the second set, but the fourth seeds broke three times to claim the title which Chan won with her younger sister, Chan Hao-ching, last year on England’s south coast when they defeated Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 5-7, 10-7.
Overall, the fourth seeds saved one of five break points and converted six of 13, winning 73 of the 134 points contested as Srebotnik lifted the trophy for the third time in Eastbourne.
“Sometimes there are places where players just feel comfortable and for me that’s Eastbourne,” the Slovenian told the tournament Web site. “I’ve always played well here and always felt comfortable. It’s very important to play well here to get enough matches in for Wimbledon because grass is so specific.”
Photo: Reuters
“This is our first title together and somehow I had a feeling in Stuttgart when we lost our second final that perhaps third time lucky, so I’m really, really happy for Caroline especially,” she said.
Earlier, Belinda Bencic defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to win the first WTA Tour title of her career, before hailing the influence of superstar compatriot Hingis.
The trophy breakthrough for the 18-year-old Swiss denied the ninth-seeded Pole, and 2012 Wimbledon finalist, a second title at Devonshire Park.
Bencic, coached part-time by Hingis and by Hingis’ mother Melanie Molitor, was playing in the third final of her career.
She was beaten this month in the grass-court final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, by Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
The youngster credited the Hingis team with “teaching me everything I know.”
“Martina gives me a lot of good advice, not just this week, but all the time. Also I practice with her mom, so she’s my coach when I’m back at home,” Bencic said. “Of course, they have been [a] big influence on my game.”
Bencic got away to a treble break in the third set for 5-0 as she finished the job against the 2008 Eastbourne champion with a forehand winner to the corner.
“This is the biggest day of my career,” said the world No. 31, who rose 10 places after her maiden trophy. “This is a dream come true. I’m so happy to win my first title. I woke up very nervous this morning and even in practice I was nervous, but once on the court I tried to fight for every point, I tried my best.”
Bencic, who finished with 41 winners and 22 unforced errors, won the opening set in just under an hour.
Radwanska denied the teenager a straight-sets victory by taking the second to level after Bencic came back from an early break, but lost the set with a backhand long.
In the third, the Swiss quickly recovered her poise to run away to the win in just over two hours.
“I was very focused and really I played very free. I was disappointed I didn’t close out the second set. I was also starting to get tired,” Bencic said.
Radwanska, close to tears during the trophy ceremony, committed nearly 50 unforced errors.
“I’m happy to have played the final, I tried my best, but Belinda was better today. After I won the second set I knew things could change quickly, but it was a very tight match and I was just not there in the third set,” the Pole said.
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